El Cocuy National Park

城市概覽

The national park is on the border of the Boyacá and Arauca departments. The two main town to access the park are El Cocuy and Güicán.

Landscape The Sierra is in the eastern part of the park and is the main tourist attraction. It is a mountain range stretching north to south that contains several snow covered peaks. The western part of the park is low lands tropical forest all the way to the Llanos region and is off limit to tourism because of absence of tracks and guerrilla presence. The historic glaciers have shrunk considerably in the 20th century due to global warming and are expected to disappear completely by the mid 21st century.

Flora Frailejones, typical of paramo landscapes. Cojines, swamp bushes endemic to the park.

Fauna Bears, deer (south part of the park), pumas, condors (north of the park) and rabbits.

Climate The weather is rainy and cloudy most of the year. Temperature does not vary a lot during the course of a year. The best chance for dry, sunny weather is between December and mid-March. Above 4,000 meters, there may be snow anytime.

如何抵達

From the South: Five direct buses leave from Bogotá daily (COP$45,000, 12 hr). The route goes through Tunja (COP$70000, 9 hr) and Duitama. (Jan 2023) From the North: Coming from Cucuta or Bucaramanga is more complicated and will require changing buses in Capitanejo. As of Jan 2023, the road from Bucaramanga to Malaga is dangerous (landslides in rain sea season) but buses operate, maybe on alternative route. Libertadores and Gacela - Expreso Paz del Rio operate buses to Bogota, via Tunja, leaving at 4AM, 11AM, 6PM and 8PM (Jan 2023).

當地交通

The cheapest option to reach the park is the milk truck or lechero (COP$10,000). It leaves Güicán at 5:30AM everyday, reaches El Cocuy around 6AM and then goes up towards the Sierra to collect milk before going back to Güicán. It can drop you at various location close to the cabanas. Don’t expect to trek in the park on that day, you’ll get too late. However, it is a good thing: you will be able to spend the night in one of the fincas, or in your tent, and it will leave you enough time for acclimatation. If you miss the milk truck or want to go later, you can hire someone to drive you in a private car, but this is a much more expensive option (COP$90,000, gringo price: COP$180,000, Jan 2023).

必看景點

Peaks: Ritacubas, Pan de Azucar, El Castillo and Pulpito del Diablo. Lagunas: Los Verdes, Laguna Grande de la Sierra, La Isla, La Plaza y El Avellanal

體驗活動

Although there is no official bike renting business, there are some nice routes for mountain biking. You may informally rent bikes to individuals, for example via the local MTB club.

購物

You may buy all kinds of equipment for your treks in El Cocuy city centre. Beware of the gringo prices which may be applied in unreasonable proportions.

美食

El café de mi tierra serves good coffee and cakes. A restaurant serves food at night in the same court. You may ask for vegetarian options even if they’re not on the menu (patacon is great).

飲品與夜生活

There is a bar and nightclub at the esquina on the left of the main church.

住宿

El Cocuy Hotel Casa Muñoz, Carrera 5 No 7-28 (On the main square), ☏ +57 8-789-0328, +57 8-789-0028, +57 313 829-1073, +57 313 332-1980, [email protected]. Hotel Villa Real, Calle 7 No 4-50, ☏ +57 8-789-0038, +57 311-475-6495, +57 311-810-2808, [email protected]. Family-run hostel close to the main square that offers dark rooms with hard beds and TV. Single with shared bath COP$12,000.

Güicán Cabaña Hotel El Edén, Transversal 2 No 9-58 Urbanización Villa Nevada (10 min walk from the center), ☏ +57 8 7897093, +57 3118088334, +57 3144153019, [email protected]. Very clean rooms with wooden ceilings and private bathrooms. Duplex rooms on the 1st floor that sleep up to 5 persons with nice views of the valley. Very friendly owners. Single with bath COP$15,000. Hotel El Frailejón, Carrera 4 No 3–34 (On the main square), ☏ +57 312-586-0619. Cheapest option in town.

Park Hacienda La Esperanza. Cabañas Kanwarra. Posada Sierra Nevada. Double beds COP$30,000. Herrera, ☏ +57-311-214-9255. Campground with toilets and showers. Cabana Laguna Pintada. Single COP$35,000.